Library and Information Science Commons^™

Is Microethnography An Ethnographic Case Study? And/Or A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study? An Analysis Of The Literature, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Selecting the research approach that addresses the research question is often challenging for novice researchers. However, getting a better understanding of the research approaches available in the field, is likely to help novice researchers identify and choose the research approach that fits their situation. In this paper, we discuss microethnography, ethnographic case study, and mini-ethnography case study in order to show that these approaches may have similarities but are different. The author hopes that this discussion will help researchers get a better understanding of these approaches and dissipate the confusion that may exist.

Promoting The Bc Digital Commons: For And By The Community, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

The BC Digital Commons (DC) is an open-access robust repository of artifacts, scholarship, publications, performances, events, and more. Through Google Scholar and other search engines, the content is accessed worldwide, yet the DC remains a little-known resource on campus. This fact motivated the director of the Forrer Learning Commons to seek input on how to more effectively increase submissions and the number of users.

The 2023 Strategic Public Relations class (COMM 347) began by educating themselves on the DC and brainstorming about potential advantages from a student’s perspective. They identified stakeholders to interview to determine general awareness and to test …

Convivial Making: Power In Public Library Creative Places, Shannon Crawford Barniskis

Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, public libraries began to provide access to collaborative creative places, frequently called “makerspaces.” The professional literature portrays these as beneficial for communities and individuals through their support of creativity, innovation, learning, and access to high-tech tools such as 3D printers. As in longstanding “library faith” narratives, which pin the library’s existence to widely held values, makerspace rhetoric describes access to tools and skills as instrumental for a stronger economy or democracy, social justice, and/or individual happiness. The rhetoric generally frames these places as empowering. Yet the concept of power has been neither well-theorized within the library makerspace literature …

Documenting A Move Using Archival Description: Tools For Bridging The Gaps Between Physical And Intellectual Control, Bolton Doub

Journal of Western Archives

Following the move of approximately 40,000 linear feet of archival material between offsite storage facilities, the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries began a project to document these holdings’ new locations using ArchivesSpace. This case study explores a combination of tools--including the ArchivesSpace API, Python scripts, OpenRefine, and spreadsheet applications--that the USC Libraries used to batch-edit and create container data in ArchivesSpace following the move. The paper discusses the challenges and shortcomings of these tools for editing particular forms of legacy data entered into USC’s instance of ArchivesSpace long before the move. When the creators of this past description prioritized …

Research Design In Library And Information Science, Olufemi Olubunmi Ilori, Ayotola Olubunmi Onanuga

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Research design is the bedrock or roadmap of any research work which is anticipated to provide suitable framework on how a study is to be conducted. This design should be carefully prepared prior to the commencement of the research. The type of identified research problem will determine the research design and not vice-versa. Also, the questions to be answered by conducting the research constitute the most important element of any research design. In accordance to literature, the most predominant designs used in Library and information Science (LIS) researches are: Case study, Survey and Experimental designs. This study explained in details …

Leatherby Libraries From Home: Online And Social Media Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rachel Karas, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

Starting March 11, 2020, the day that Chapman University announced that classes would transition immediately to remote in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Leatherby Libraries dramatically shifted its marketing strategy and the use of social media to communicate with the student body, faculty, staff, and other community member followers. The Leatherby Libraries used social media during the COVID-19 crisis as both a means of communicating urgent messages to its patrons and also as a tool for engaging community members in the absence of traditional
library tours, events, and exhibits.

Next Generation Open Textbooks: A Case Study, Christine R. Ingersoll, Larry Sheret

SOJMC Faculty Research

Design Across the Disciplines: Learning the value of communication design through practice” is an OER (open educational resource), digital textbook under prototype testing in a media design course. The text is created in collaboration with a librarian, two faculty from different colleges and two students who have completed the course. This interdisciplinary team was formed with the directive to embrace the powers of design thinking through digital content to develop a product that truly recognizes the needs of the primary users, our students and key stakeholders, the faculty. Several semesters of student feedback provided the insights for considering textbook cost; …

Rethink, Reuse, Recycle: Turning An Existing Workshop Into A Virtual Opportunity For Outreach And Engagement, Jason Wardell, Bridget Retzloff, Joan Plungis

Roesch Library Faculty Publications

This case study of using a webinar series as a library marketing technique shares the process, communications, and assessment results from a well-attended online event, “Summer of Citations.” An in-person citation management software workshop for graduate students by librarians at a small midwestern private university served as a springboard for the series. Targeted to faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate honors students, the Zoom-based, 45-minute sessions covered a different product on each of three successive days. A common structure for each presentation, along with the use of Springshare modules for registration and assessment, facilitated the event’s rapid production and easy replication.

A Case Study Of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (Aiims) Library, New Delhi (India) In The Age Of Ict, Hira Kalita

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was conducted to find out the case study about the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) library, New Delhi (India). This case study reveals the library activities, services, collection, ICT usages, infrastructures and management of the library for the benefit of user community.

Methodology: For the required information a set of questionnaire was prepared for the present study and it was distributed to the library professionals of AIIMS library only.

Findings: This study revealed that library has well furnished collection of printed and e-resources, facilities for disabled users, yearly training …

Mind The Gap: Teaching Archival Silences In Digital Collections, Colleen Hoelscher, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

This engaging case study describes a library instruction session held virtually for undergraduate students in an upper-level history course on US foreign relations. Working collaboratively, the special collections librarian and instruction librarian for history presented students with strategies for finding and evaluating digital primary sources for their research papers. Students were introduced to the role the curatorial process plays in the creation of digital collections. The instructors highlighted that such collections frequently contain only a portion of the materials in a full archival collection as well as the role of curatorial bias: digital collections often reflect the prejudices and interests …

Awareness And Use Of E-Resources At Chandigarh College Of Architecture, Chandigarh, India: A Study, Bhanu Partap, Manju Ranga

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is an attempt to study the awareness and use of e-resources among the students at Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh, India. For the present study, survey method has been adopted using questionnaire as a data gathering tool. Copies of self designed questionnaire were distributed online through e-mail/WhatsApp to the 150 students during February-March, 2021. Out of total 150 administered questionnaires, 127 completely filled questionnaires were received back and found valid for analysis. The response rate is achieved @84.66 percent. The study revealed that more than 90 percent of the respondents were aware about the use of electronic resources …

Virtual Reference Amid Covid-19 Campus Closure: A Case Study And Assessment, Maureen Garvey

Publications and Research

Purpose – This case study was conducted to assess and make changes to the consortial virtual reference service for the remainder of the period of fully virtual reference (campus closure); a second objective was to consider implications for service design and delivery upon the eventual return to the physical campus.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper begins by introducing the institution, reference practices prior to the pandemic and the changes to reference service necessitated by the campus closure. After a literature review of material related to reference and the pandemic, several years of virtual reference service data are analyzed.

Findings – The …

Working Remotely, Working Effectively: Improving Collection Access During A Global Pandemic, Colleen Bradley-Sanders

Publications and Research

This article looks at how one college archive responded to the shutdown of its campus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Archivist and Associate Archivist worked together to develop work assignments that could be done from home. While collection processing was halted, the tasks assigned to staff all aimed to improve informational access to the collections, through an expanded effort to convert PDF finding aids to EAD for placement in an ArchivesSpace site, a project to create a searchable listing of collections that includes a brief description of content and links to finding aids, and planning for digitization of …

Rework The Network: Implementing Virtual Outreach Methods In The Covid Era, Alexandra Howard

Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic forced academic libraries to be innovative and efficient in shifting to support online learning. While there has been much discussion of online teaching resources and tools among librarians and educators, there has been less of a focus on online outreach and virtual networking. This article presents a case study describing how a new liaison librarian used virtual outreach to build relationships in her liaison subject area, leading to opportunities for research assistance and instruction despite the challenges of starting as a new librarian in the midst of a global pandemic.

Retaining Opportunities, Completing Key Projects With Remote Student Employees During Covid-19, Henry M. Handley, Kayla Harris

Marian Library Faculty Publications

As the field of higher education began furloughs and layoffs to alleviate COVID-19 budget concerns, cultural heritage workers were directed to clearly demonstrate how their work contributes to institutions’ educational missions. Although physical library and archival collections were deemed inaccessible and less critical during the pandemic than ebooks, electronic journals, and digitized special collections, the two special collections projects considered in this case study demonstrate the value of continuing collections management work remotely and the relevance of student employees and other contingent workers in libraries and archives. The projects—one an inventory and bibliography of books acquired from a defunct religious …

Public Library Scenario In Karimpur Block, Nadia,Wb: A Case Study, Jayanta Kr Nayek, Susmita Mondal, Student

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The main aim of the study is to analyze the present scenario of public libraries in West Bengal. This study is focused on the public libraries under Karimpur area, a city under Nadia district, WB. According to public library network, Govt. of West Bengal there are total 110 government sponsored public library in Nadia district, out of which 100 are rural libraries and 10 are town libraries. There are 9 libraries in Karimpur block. Out of which 7 libraries are open till date. Two libraries (Bagdanga Public Library and Dhoradaha Sadharan Pathagar) are closed due to shortage of staff and …

“There Is Subjectivity, There Is Bias”: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions Of Equity In Data Literacy For Teaching, Heather Whitesides, Jori S. Beck

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Research on equity in data literacy for teaching has lagged yet is of critical importance to ensuring new teachers are prepared to serve diverse students. Our multiple case study conveyed four elementary teacher candidates’ understandings of this construct and their reaction to instruction in this domain. Data collection included interviews, item analysis, and concept maps. Our participants developed a broader view of data by the end of the course, but often did not recognize inequitable data practices like tracking which conveys a misalignment between beliefs and practices. We explored implications for policy and practice based on our findings.

User Perception Of Library Services In Public Libraries In Western Tamilnadu With Special Reference To Salem District: A Case Study, N Sundareswaran

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Public libraries are always called ‘People’s University’ as it provides education to all and to improve Information literacy, empowerment, and cultural heritage. Public libraries facilitate a variety of services to the user community. This study has made an attempt to investigate the current trends of user perception in terms of library services and availability of resources in public libraries in western Tamilnadu particularly in District Central Public Library at Salem. This study tried to focus to evaluate regarding the gender and age wise distribution, Marital status and Educational qualifications, Occupation wise distribution, and Membership status, Residence wise distribution, Availability of …

User Perception Of Library Services In Public Libraries In Western Tamilnadu With Special Reference To Salem District: A Case Study, N Sundareswaran

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Public libraries are always called ‘People’s University’ as it provides education to all and to improve Information literacy, empowerment, and cultural heritage. Public libraries facilitate variety of services to the user community. This study has made an attempt to investigate the current trends of user perception in terms of library services and availability of resources in public libraries in western Tamilnadu particularly in District Central Public Library at Salem. This study tired to focus to evaluate regarding the gender and age wise distribution, Marital status and Educational qualifications, Occupation wise distribution, and Membership status, Residence wise distribution, Availability of library …

Information Needs Of Rural Women: A Case Study Of Bangalore North Taluk, Roja M

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study try to explore the occupational rural women information needs, sources and barriers to access information in Sonnenahalli and Dibburu villages, Bangalore North taluk, Karnataka state. The study employed survey method and data were collected by administrating a questionnaire. This study reveals that majority of the rural women occupation was agriculture followed by animal husbandry. 81.81% occupational rural women main information source was television and 52.72% rural women illiterate it’s a main information barrier in rural area. 50.9% occupational rural women are using information to polish their daily routine work.

“Partnering To Understand Undergraduate Research And Writing Longitudinally”, Donna Scheidt, Cara Kozma, Holly Middleton, Kathy Shields

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In her longitudinal case study of a single undergraduate, College Writing and Beyond (2007), Anne Beaufort investigates several knowledge domains contributing to students’ development as writers. As a team of librarians and writing faculty in research and teaching partnership, we hope to build on Beaufort’s work by examining and elaborating the role of research with respect to writing development by sharing findings from our own longitudinal study of undergraduates’ development as writer-researchers. Specifically, we are interested in the ways in which undergraduates’ research interfaces with their writing practices as they advance through their general education coursework and various disciplines. How …

Retiring The Mack: Preparing Campus Community For Library Construction Project, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

The Bridgewater campus was on the verge of a dramatic change as the Alexander Mack Memorial Library transformed into the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons. The project impacted every student as the Mack closed its doors in May 2018, library services were moved to another building and warehouse, and new study spaces were created on campus. Despite this project touching every current and prospective student, there was not a distinct communication plan to reach this audience.

At the request of the library administration, the Strategic Public Relations class planned and recommended how to promote and educate the campus community about …

Reflections On Digitization, Outreach, And The Value Of Ephemera In Special Collections: A Case Study, Gregory K. Seppi

Journal of Western Archives

This case study describes the process L. Tom Perry Special Collections used to create and promote a digital collection of ephemera on Internet Archive. It follows the process from selection to uploading, discusses how decisions related to digitization were made, and how the collection was promoted following digitization. This paper establishes the value of digitizing ephemera related to topics known to be of interest to patrons and demonstrates one approach to special collections outreach. Data gathered during the creation of this case study demonstrates that even small efforts to promote digital collections can significantly improve usage of niche ephemera collections …

Portraits, Preservation & Pedigrees: An Introduction To Photographic Portraiture, Photographs As A Means Of Genealogical Research, And A Preservation Case Study Of The Howard D. Beach Studio Collection Of Glass Plate Negatives, Kirsten Feigel

Museum Studies Theses

Photography is an established art form that combines the knowledge of chemistry, light, and optics to render an image. Initially, the image is captured on a flat surface coated with emulsion and combined with an exposure to sunlight or another illuminating source. Today, images are captured by digital methods. Artistically, the photograph may reveal sceneries of landscapes, of treasured belongings and of people, as they are seen to the human eye. Photographic portraiture is the oldest style of photography next to landscape imagery, due to commercial photographers setting up studios and experimenting with photography’s many cameras, plates, and emulsions. In …

The E-Writing Experiences Of Literary Authors, Kathleen Schreurs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The e-writing experience is new and not yet fully understood and there is a story to be told about the enigmatic term e-writing and its impact on authors in the e-paradigm. In this study I collected understandings of e-writing by exploring the experiences of literary authors through qualitative case studies. I set out to find answers amidst two interconnected plots of inquiry. The first plot examined e language, in particular the term e-writing, and asked how authors understand the term e-writing and how their experiences contributed to that meaning. The second storyline asked how the digital revolution and resulting e-culture …

Using Acs Data To Study The 2016 Election In The Classroom: A Case Study From Bucknell University, Todd Suomela, Carrie M. Pirmann, Janine Glathar

Library and Information Technology Publications

Presenting complex data to an audience which is unfamiliar with the intricacies of data acquisition and management is a challenge for many professionals. Education faculty and staff are no different. Staff at Bucknell University library were approached in 2015 by a faculty member from the economics department for assistance with a class on economic history. The syllabus called for the class to analyze and map the development of the 2016 presidential campaign. Through the course of this project data was gathered from multiple sources, including the American Community Survey. Tools such as ArcGIS, R, and the American FactFinder were integrated …

Extending The Institutional Repository To Include Undergraduate Research, Eleta Exline

University Library Scholarship

While a primary strategy of scholarly communication initiatives has been to encourage faculty participation in institutional repositories (IRs), with some process and workflow customization, IR participation can be successfully extended to undergraduate students, with benefits to both the student and institution. Drawing observations from the University of New Hampshire Library's work collecting undergraduate honors theses and other student research, this article discusses customization strategies for creating an effective workflow for student self-deposit using an iterative, feedback-based approach, and the benefits, challenges,and potential concerns of encouraging undergraduate participation in institutional repositories.

From Transaction To Interaction: Socio-Materiality, Reliability And Transparency In An Age Of "Unbound Documents", Christopher W. Colwell

Proceedings from the Document Academy

Social media applications, such as Facebook, have been described as “documents without borders”. (Skare & Lund, 2014). In an Australian Government context these documents (which may also be records) exist outside the boundaries of the organisation to which they relate, and which created them. Unlike other documents in an organisational setting, they are “unbound” from the usual organisational processes of creation, management and control but still subject to relevant legislative and recordkeeping obligations (Hesling, 2014).

This paper explores initial themes from the first case study of a larger doctoral study into the perceptions of records in Australian Government agencies. Among …

Telling Our Story: A Case Study Of A Collaborative Departmental Blog, Stephanie J.H. Mcreynolds, Anne E. Rauh

Libraries' and Librarians' Publications

This case study will take readers through the planning and publication process of a collaborative departmental library blog at Syracuse University, which is a large private, non-profit research intensive university located in central New York State. It will provide an overview of the history of the project and the mission of the blog. It will describe the technical aspects, developing a publication schedule, and the editorial responsibilities of maintaining the blog. The impact of the blog is documented. The blog has raised awareness of the librarians’ expertise and this is explored alongside how posts have contributed to a number of …

A Case Study: Data Management In Biomedical Engineering, Glenn Gaudette, Donna Kafel

Glenn R. Gaudette

In a biomedical engineering lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, co-author Dr. Glenn R. Gaudette and his research team are investigating the effects of stem cell therapy on the regeneration of function in damaged cardiac tissue in laboratory rats. Each instance of stem cell experimentation on a rat yields hundreds of data sets that must be carefully captured, documented and securely stored so that the data will be easily accessed and retrieved for papers, reports, further research, and validation of findings, while meeting NIH guidelines for data sharing. After a brief introduction to the bioengineering field and stem cell research, this …